Typhoon Wutip has hit Vietnam after sinking three Chinese fishing boats in the South China Sea and leaving dozens of fishermen missing.

China's official news agency, Xinhua, said Monday that 74 fishermen are still unaccounted for, after their boats were lost near the Paracel Islands on Sunday. It said rescuers have retrieved 14 survivors.

Wutip was downgraded to a tropical storm when it made landfall on Vietnam Monday evening.

Vietnamese officials previously evacuated tens of thousands of people from the storm's path.

Residents in central Vietnam say the storm has damaged some houses and affected power supplies. There were no immediate reports of injuries.